Detroit Mowers Gang Pledges To Clean Up Neglected, Closed Parks

DETROIT (WWJ) – In the city of Detroit, 50 parks will be closed this spring and another 38 are being put on “limited service.”

But one organization made up entirely of volunteers will be attempting to infuse beauty in those limited service parks, where lawn mowing will now only happen once every 25 to 40 days.

Tom Nardone, coordinator of the Detroit Mowers Gang, said when grass is cut on such an interval like once a month, children won’t be able to use the parks.

“In the heat of the summer or in the spring when it’s rainy and sunny alternately, the grass is really growing high. Forty days are going to make that grass so tall and it will be well over your knees. There will be no playing in those playgrounds, that’s for sure,” said Nardone.

Nardone said the Detroit Mowers Gang will be working to pick up the slack by going out to a different park every week and cutting the grass so people can actually enjoy the open space.

“We chose our parks and we get out there. Every Wednesday we go and we’re going to go to some place that’s in bad shape. So, it doesn’t make our job any more difficult because for years, we haven’t been able to mow everything that needed to be mowed anyway. It just gives us a longer to-do list,” said Nardone.

And that’s where you can pitch in and help, too. Nardone said starting April 17, dozens of volunteers will be out and about with weed-wackers and mowers, cleaning up the community and sprucing up neighborhood parks. He said anyone is welcome and encouraged to join the effort and help make Detroit a clean place for children to play.